The Bible – Mariners Church Flow Questions

Ephesians 2:1-9 // The Bible Wk 10

Introduction // 5 minutes

Describe a time you took on a D.I.Y. (do it yourself) project that didn’t go as planned. Examples could include home or car repair.

Leader Note: Most projects start out with the best intentions in mind. However, we have all experienced those moments when we come to realize that we are in over our heads and need help!

Observation // 15 minutes

Read Ephesians 2:1-9

What does a “dead in sin” life look like?

Leader Note: The temptation at this point may be to pull from personal examples or stories. Encourage your group to stay in the passage, responding to what is written only.

Sample Answers May Include…

Full of transgression and sin (v1)
Following the ways of the world (v2)
Living to please the fleshly desires (v3)
Deserving of God’s wrath (3)

What does an “alive in Christ” life look like?

Sample Answers May Include…

A recipient of grace (v5)
United with Christ in His life and resurrection (v6)
A living expression/example of God’s love for generations to see (v7)
Dependent on God’s grace versus our works (v8-9)
Purposefully and thankful (v10)

Understanding // 20 minutes

What is celebrated more in our culture, works or grace? Give examples.

Commentary: There is a clear connection scriptural between grace and works. We live out/express the grace we have been given through the actions of our lives (see Romans 12:1). The starting place must always be grace. We don’t work to earn grace rather we live out of the grace we have received. The system of our world is often flipped from this understanding. We work in order to receive.

What are some of the ways people try to earn God’s acceptance?

Commentary: This passage tells us that because of our sin we are dead to rights or “deserving of wrath” (v3). Dead things need more than repair or resuscitation they need new life, a new way of being and doing that cannot be found in and of themselves. We tend to rely on our good works, right moral living or self-perseverance in order to gain God’s grace. This passage reminds us that salvation cannot be obtained through any amount of “right living” or “self repair.”

Application // 20 minutes

In what ways are you attempting to earn God’s acceptance?

What would need to change in your heart and thinking to move from a posture of earning to receiving God’s grace?

Live It Out // 10 minutes

How might a deeper understanding and acceptance of God’s grace impact your life and the lives of others?

Prayer: Father we thank you for your great love for us. We thank you that while we were still sinners and far from you, you sent your son to die for our sins. Help us to more fully understand and accept this gift of grace. Give us courage to live lives of thankful praise as a response for all that you have done for us. Amen!

Luke 22:39-46 // The Bible Wk 9

Introduction // 5 minutes

Who’s your all time favorite super hero and why?

Leader Note: Lead your group to see through their answers that we are often drawn to the “Super Human” qualities, i.e. the ability to fly. What often makes super heroes so appealing is their ability to do what we are incapable of.

Observation // 15 minutes

Read Luke 22:39-46

What qualities does Jesus display in this passage?

Sample Answers May Include…

Discipline, seen in His commitment to pray (v39)
Concern for others (v40)
Humility (v41)
Honesty and vulnerability (v42)
Surrender (v42)
Agony and pain (v44)

What do those qualities teach us about Jesus?

Commentary: This passage is one the most crucial passages in the entire Bible. Here Jesus finds Himself at the intersection of His and His Father’s will. The burden of the cross, which includes God’s wrath and judgment, separation and great physical pain leading to death, is set before Him. While Jesus understands and desires the outcome that this sacrifice would lead to, He is torn and in distress about the path.

Leader Note: Many of the qualities in this passage are grounded in a humble submission and service. Jesus being fully God, had every power available to Him yet here we see Him “suspending” some of those powers and surrender to a path of great pain. He, like us, was called to live a life completely dependent on His Father’s power and guidance (John 5:19). Jesus also models honesty and lament in His prayer. The Father’s response to that honesty is His strength and presence (v43).

Understanding // 15 minutes

Where have you seen powerful surrender?

Leader note: Consider those who have faced incredible challenges and ultimately prayed for God’s will and surrendered their utmost desires and believed that what God wanted, had for them, was best, or at least came to the recognition that their will was short-sighted, based on limited knowledge of current situations and lack of knowledge of eternal meaning.

Application // 20 minutes

What specific things is God calling you to surrender?

Leader note: When we talk about surrendering to God we often move to quickly to the 50,000-foot view. This passage reminds us that a life surrendered will have real practical and tangible implications. Be it how we handle our finances, raise our kids or deal with forgiveness, when we surrender to God He will provide us time and time again with moments to live out our surrender to Him.

Leader Note: Lead your group to see that there is often a connection between surrender and the things that we are either most concerned about (our family, health, finances ect…) or the things we most desire to obtain for ourselves.

What temptations do you face to avoid that surrender?

Commentary: Jesus only comes to the Garden once. In that moment He settles the matter. However, later in the Luke’s Gospel His decision is continual tested by others (Before Pilate, the crowds, solders and criminals next to him on the cross). We will likewise be meet with opposition, (internal and external) that comes to combat our decision to surrender to God’s will and care.

Sample Answers May Include…

My desire to control and know the future
Trusting that God is good and that He will protect and provide
Living in past hurt and disappointment
A sense of entitlement for the things I want and have
Opposing opinions from our friends and loved ones

What qualities are you most in need of to walk out your surrender?

Live It Out // 10 minutes

What would change in your life if you were to completely surrender your desires and embrace God’s will?

What would happen in our community if we all lived this way?

Prayer: We encourage you to pray for two things with your group this week. First, for those that are having a hard time identifying what God is calling them to surrender, pray for an increased awareness to hear God’s voice as He speaks to them this week. Second, pray for courage and a willingness to respond to His voice. Also pray out thankfulness for Jesus sacrifice, what it models for us and for the life that is made possible for all through it.

John 5:1-15 // The Bible Wk 8

Introduction // 5 minutes

What’s the worst car you’ve ever owned?

Leader Note: The aim of this question is to engage all members and oriented ourselves for the rest of the discussion. Lead your group through this lighthearted question, transitioning by saying something to the effect of… “Even the worst car was new at one time.”

Observation // 15 minutes

Read John 5:1-15

What do you observe about Jesus in this passage?

Sample Answers May Include…

He picks out a particularly man from the large crowds (v6)
He asks the man if he would like to get well (v6)
He calls the man to do something he couldn’t do (v8)
He heals him physically and then invites him into something more (v14)

What do you observe about the sick man?

Sample Answers May Include…

He had been sick for a very long time (v5)
He seems to be resigned to the fact the he will not get better (v7)
Even with large crowds around him, he is alone and isolated (v7)
He believes that he won’t get healed because of his inability to get in the pool (v7)
He didn’t know who Jesus was (v7, v11-13)

What do you observe about the Jewish Leaders?

Sample Answers May Include…

The were more concerned with the observance of the sabbath than the man’s healing (v10)
The read their own interpretation of the law into the situation – note: there is now law that excludes one from carrying a mat on the sabbath (v10)
The seem to value rules and regulations over the life and health of the lame man (v10)

Commentary: A deeper understanding of the context of this passage this week may be helpful for your discussion. Read the passage and ask the 1^st question without going into the context. You may then find it helpful to add some of the following information into the discussion.

We don’t know which holy day this miracle took place on, but be it Passover, Pentecost, ect… one thing we can be sure of is that Jerusalem would have been packed! People would have travelled from all over the region to celebrate/worship in Jerusalem. The Temple and the pool of Bethesda (on the outskirts of temple) would have been especially busy during this time.

Most translations don’t include verse 4, which includes a comment about an “Angel troubling the water.” When this happened the water would bubble (more likely because of the mineral properties in the water). It was believed that the first person in the water would be healed. This would have created a chaotic seen of sick people pushing and competing to get into the water first. This picture becomes more ironic when we consider that the pool of Bethesda literally translates to “House of Mercy” or “House of Loving Kindness.”

Jesus encounters a sick man, likely paralyzed, who had been in that state for 38 years! It is likely that this man had become resigned to the fact that he would never be able to make it into the pool. Some scholars suggest that the man may have even decided to become a “professional beggar” making a living off the donations of those who would pass by him every day on their way to worship in the Temple.

Understanding // 15 minutes

Where have you seen people accept a broken thing as a “way of life?”

Leader Note: While we eventually want to get people to open up to examples of physical, emotional and spiritual brokenness, you may wish to answer this question first in a lighter way. One example could be of a time when perhaps something was broken around your house and you gradually found yourself being ok with it.

Whatever the example, lead your to group to see that all things have an intended purpose that eventually get’s challenged, lost or broken.

Besides acceptance what other responses have you seen to brokenness?

Sample Answers May Include…

Anger
Bitterness
Hopelessness
Confusion
Cynicism
Denial
An obsession to “fix” the problem

Commentary: We live in a broken world that has also been and continues to be, in the process of being made whole again. Jesus’ death and resurrection ensures that death and all that it entails has been defeated. However, the lingering effects of death caused by sin are still very much present in our world. The only way to endure in this life is to understand that brokenness and death are not final. We as God’s people and this world He created are in the process of being completely restored.

Application // 20 minutes

Where in your life do you have brokenness and need God’s healing?

How are you currently responding to that brokenness?

What would it look like for you to “pick up your mat and walk?”

Leader Note: As Christians we have all received the greatest miracle of all… forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. The man in this passage came to realize that truth in a very tangible/physical way as Jesus healed his body. We believe that God still heals, (physically, spiritually, emotionally) today. Just as our salvation is a process, healing may also be a process that gets lived it and realized in different ways. As your group shares do your best to acknowledge and honor the tension between the new life we have already received and the different ways we see it expressed in our lives.

Leader Note: We have been holding healing services across our campuses during the past couple of weeks. Use this space to ask if anyone responded to the prayer call for healing. Have group members share what compelled them to respond and how they have been impacted since. Also, allow space to ask those who did not respond in the service to be prayed for during your group time.

Live It Out // 10 minutes

Where is God calling you to notice and respond to brokenness in our world?

What things hold you back from responding?

Commentary: Like the crowds, the Jewish leaders and Jesus in the passage we have the choice to either ignore or respond when we encounter brokenness. Like the Pharisees we often miss out on joining in God’s work of restoration in world in the name of safety or legalism. Likewise we can be like the crowds, concerned for our own healing and situation that we fail to see the brokenness around us and how we might be called to respond.

Prayer: Father we thank you that in you all things are being made new. We pray that you give us eyes to see where we are still in need of the life you bring and courage to continually call out to you for our complete healing. We thank you that are intimately involved in our lives and that you care for us. Let us become more fully people who embrace your work of salvation and in turn express what we have received in the world around us.

Romand 5:1-5 // The Bible Series Wk 7

Introduction // 5 minutes

What has been the high point of your summer so far?

Leader Note: Allow time for everyone to answer this question. The more participation you can get from the beginning the better your chances are of having everyone participate all the way through!

Observation // 15 minutes

Read Romans 5:1-5

How is peace with God described in this passage?

Sample Answers May Include…

Being made right in His sight (v1)
Understanding that we justified by God’s work and not our own (v.1-2)
Standing in grace (v2)
The ability to rejoice/glory in trials and sufferings (v3)

What do you learn about suffering and trials from this passage?

Sample Answers May Include…

Enables us to share in God’s glory (v.2)
We have cause to rejoice when we encounter them (v.3)
They can develop endurance, strength, character and hope (v.4)
They may strengthen our hope (v.5)

Leader Note: The temptation at this point may be to go into personal stories and examples of times of suffering. Do your best to pull answers straight from the text. Looking at God’s word first helps direct conversation and sets up richer discussion and personal application.

Commentary: We have already received an eternal hope and salvation through the work of Jesus on the cross (v.1-2). However, we also live in a present reality where we experience suffering and trials. Suffering when viewed through the understanding of our eternal hope and peace provides us with tangible opportunities to grow in that hope and peace in the here and now.

This passage is so important because the misconception of Christianity sometimes is that life should be perfect, harmonious, without trials or tribulations once Christ has entered your life. This isn’t true, God says just the opposite – you will endure trials, they just don’t have to destroy you, instead you can gain strength in character that leads to hope.

Understanding // 20 minutes

Where have you seen suffering without hope?

Leader Note: From senseless acts of violence to natural disasters and disease our world is very much accustomed to suffering and trials. Lead your group to see that suffering outside of a hope in God leaves us confused, bitter, pessimistic and hopeless. On the other hand suffering with our hope in Christ in mind produces endurance and character.

Where have you seen suffering and hope coexist?

Leader Note: These questions will be easier to answer if you think of a particular person in your life facing a major struggle – describe how they see and are responding (responded) to that trouble.

Application // 20 minutes

What trial are you currently facing? How are you responding?

Leader Note: Listening is the key component at this point. Resist the urge from yourself and others to move into problem solving and advice giving. There’s beauty in honesty and in listening that is rooted in love and care for one another.

In addition to asking, “how are you responding,” you may also ask, “what is the trial producing or revealing in them” or “how has God shaped in a time of suffering.” Allow for honest answers as everyone may be in very different places.

Commentary: Some of your group members may be facing sickness, financial problems or trying to raise a troubled child. It is an amazing and yet difficult thought to consider that we are to glory in these troubles because of what they have the potential to produce in us.

Live It Out // 10 minutes

How might we become more effective in serving others by understanding suffering more fully?

Commentary: Jesus himself experienced trials and suffering (tempted in the wilderness, crucifixion). What he experienced, particularly through dessert temptations (Matthew 4:1-11) prepared Him for His ministry. An eternal perspective on suffering can help remove fear that my hold us back from fully giving ourselves away and increase our faith and trust in God’s leading.

Prayer: Our prayers are two fold this week. We want to pray for God to intervene, for Him to act and bring healing into our pain. We also want to pray that as we experience pain and trials that we can grow in endurance, character and ultimately hope. Often times, we only pray to God to fix something for us, but it makes such a big difference to believe that God cares, that He is walking through the problem with you, and that He will consistently give you strength to face the problem and mature you through the endurance process.

Jeremiah 29:4-14 // The Bible Wk 6

Date: July 20-21, 2013

Series: The Bible

Message: Daniel

Passage: Jeremiah 29:4-14

INTRODUCTION—5 MINUTES

Leader tip: The goal of this question is to get everyone in the group talking. Generally, if the leader models the answer the rest of the group will be more likely to engage.

What do you love about summer?

Answers you may hear:

Beach
Relationships
Baseball
No school
Movies
Summer concerts
Long days
Watermelon
The fair—chocolate covered bacon

OBSERVATION—20 MINUTES

Read: Jeremiah 29:4-14

Leader tip: Context for the passage—the people of Israel were exiled in Babylon. They were living in a land that was not their own. This displacement brought the Israelites to feel the heavy loss of their homes, wealth, identities, communities, traditions, cultures, lands, ability to defend themselves, hopes, and spiritual moorings.

According to the passage, how does God want us to live in a land that is not our own?

Live fully—Live as if it is our own city.

Answers you may hear:

Seek prosperity
Marry and multiply
Plant gardens
Don’t forget who you are—the false prophets will tell you lies about what God wants or who He is: God is not faithful and He does not care for you. The longer you are in captivity, the greater the captivity of the lies.
God has not forgotten you—God has plans that include you.
Be for the people that you are living amongst
Pray for the peace of the city—peace for your captors. If they prosper, you prosper.

According to verses 10-14, what are we to do in difficult times?

Answers you may hear:

Seek God
Pray
Hold onto promises
Believe in God’s faithfulness
Listen
Stay true to the faith you have in God

UNDERSTANDING—20 MINUTES

Leader tip: these questions are posed with the understanding that we too are living in land that is not our own.

What things in the passage do we do well as people today?

Answers you may hear:

Live in the land well and settle in it as if it is our own.
Marry and have families
Consume
Pray for our own prosperity

What are we not doing well?

Answers you may hear:

We do not pray for peace because we ourselves are creating division.
In difficult times we don’t hold onto God’s plans for us.
Plant
Pray for our city’s prosperity
We don’t seek the Lord with all of our hearts.

APPLICATION—20 MINUTES

In difficult times, what do you struggle to hold onto?

Leader tip: It can be easy to question the promises God has made in Jeremiah 29 when life gets hard. Describe a time when it was not your first inclination to trust God’s faithfulness. How did this affect your experience?

Answer you may hear:

When I was going through my divorce, I turned bitter and angry at God for allowing this to happen to me. I felt abandoned by and isolated from everything I trusted. I can see now how God was clearly with me through that entire struggle, but I definitely lost hope when I felt my dreams were ripped away from me.

I entered a very dark place in the wake of a devastating miscarriage. I had been so hopeful and joyful in anticipation of the gift I was being given, that having it taken away felt like the deepest betrayal. I felt like I had nothing in my life to ease the pain and sunk into depression. Without God, I was alone.

Describe a time when you have held the principles from this passage well.

Leader tip: Believing and trusting that God is with you and will remain faithful to His promises changes our posturing towards difficult times. How has God shown up when you called on Him in times of crisis?

Answers you may hear:

My son got in with a rough crowd during high school. Restless and rebellious, he got in over his head with drugs and alcohol. I was terrified for him, but I remember realizing that I had to hand him over to God on some very specific altars. I trusted God had a plan for my son that was for his good, and I clung to the promises He gave me. God rescued and restored my son in a way I could never have done.

When I got diagnosed with cancer, I realized I had a choice to make: I could lose myself in fear and self-pity, or I could grasp ahold of the promises God made me and fight for my life. The act of turning to God and believing in His greater plan gave me a sense of personal agency in a powerless situation. When I am weak, He is truly my strength.

What is God asking you to hold onto from this passage?

LIVE IT OUT—10 MINUTES

What if we engaged our communities the way God has asked and prayed for our cities?

Pray over your group.

Almighty and faithful God, thank You for not abandoning us in exile. Thank You for the knowledge that when the situations in our lives strip us of our identity and our security we can have peace by grasping ahold of the promises You have given us. You enter the dark places and rescue us from where we have wandered. You have remained faithful and true to Your promises in all the seasons of our lives. We see that You have fully devoted Yourself to Your people and remain steadfast when they are lost. Stay with us, make Your presence clear. Help us to see the validity and reality of Your goodness. Fill us with gratitude that we don’t have to live this life alone.

Psalm 23 // The Bible Wk 5

Date: 7/13-14

Series: The Bible

Passage: Psalm 23

Introduction – 5 minutes

Describe a time when you were selected to do something that you felt unqualified for.

Observation – 15 minutes

Read Psalm 23

What are some of the qualities in the passage that describe David’s relationship with God?

Leader Note: While this passage may be familiar to your group lead them to see the that these statements of David’s dependence on God created character and discipline which in part qualified him to live out his calling as King of Israel later in life.

Some answers may include..

David trusted God (v. 1)
David was dependent on God’s leading (v.2-3)
David spent time with God (v. 2-3)
David committed to God’s path (v. 3)
David acknowledged but did not fear evil (v. 4)
David had a heart of gratitude (v. 5)
David saw the bigger picture (v. 6)

Understanding – 20 Minutes

What qualities does our world look to when selecting someone for a position of power or influence?

Leader Note: Be it education, strong work ethic or physical appearance; lead your group to eventually see that most of the qualities we look to are based on a set of measurable and visible value.

Where have you seen “unqualified” people make an impact in the world around them?

What qualities did those people possess?

Commentary: As it was with David it’s not always the obvious or outward qualities that enable us to be used by God (1 Samuel 16:7). David set a disciplined foundation of trust on God from an early age, which established his character and enabled him to live out God’s call on his life.

Application – 20 minutes

What qualities are you most in need of to carry out your calling/purpose?

Leader Note: You may wish to refer your group back to weeks 6 and 7 of Rooted and the discussion on purpose. Ask them to state what they believe their God intended purpose is (if the are able to identify it).

Sample answers may include…

Courage
Belief that God’s spirit will empower
Trust to know that He is in control and will lead me
Gratitude

What does it look like to live out your calling without those characteristics?

Sample answers may include…

Fear
Comparing to others
Obligation versus joyful service
Prideful belief in my own ability

What does it look like to live out your calling with those characteristics?

Leader Note: As we head into the fall season you may also want to use these questions to prompt your group to consider what collective purpose God is calling you to live out as a community. We believe that God does some of His best work through community and that He has a specific purpose for your group to engage.

Live It Out – 10 minutes

How might others be impacted if you began to live out your calling through God’s strength versus your own ability?

Prayer: Father I thank you that in your gracious wisdom you call us all to express your kingdom through our lives. I thank you for every calling and purpose represented not only through the individuals of this group but also through the collective purpose of this group. Give us ears to hear your voice and courage through the power of your Holy Spirit to respond as you lead us this week

Joshua 5:13-15, 6:1-20 // The Bible Wk 4

Date: July 6-7, 2013

Series: The Bible

Passage: Joshua 5:13-15, 6:1-20

INTRODUCTION – 5 MINUTES

Do you have a story of a time when you overcame a fear? How did you feel after?

OBESERVATION–20 MINUTES

Read Joshua 5:13, 6:1-20

What do you learn about courage from the passage?

Leader Note: As a reminder, do not read these comments to your group. These comments and notes are for you, as a leader, to help facilitate through the questions. You are to help your group observe the passages and discuss their findings in God’s Word. The sample answers are for you if your group gets stuck, read one and then tell them to look further into the passage.

Commentary

The Israelites were a wandering people. They had no great tools or strategies for war. Jericho was a “fortified city” built specifically to ward off intruders. They had all the tools, ability and knowledge to do just that.
Courage here took faith to trust in God’s promise. (In 6:2 God told Joshua that He would deliver Jericho into his hands. Joshua still needed to take action)
Courage takes obedience
It required dependence on God’s strength versus dependence on human wisdom and strength

What does Joshua’s obedience ultimately reveal about God?

Commentary

He is faithful to His promise
He uses things that appear weak or foolish to carry out His will
God doesn’t “take sides.” He invites Joshua to join Him. Joshua doesn’t invite God to “his” side to accomplish “his” will (5:13-15)
God wasn’t looking for Joshua’s skill or strength to accomplish His will
He is looking for obedience and dependence

UNDERSTANDING-20 MINUTES

What’s the most courageous act you’ve ever witnessed?

Sample answers may include:

Someone rescuing a person from drowning
A firefighter charging into a burning building
Watching a friend complete a triathlon
A single mother working 3 jobs to provide for her children

What would you say are some of the key components that made those acts so courageous?

Sample answers may include:

Boldness
A clear and sizeable obstacle was present
Disregard for personal safety
Strong sense of personal strength and self confidence
Ability to put a set of knowledge and training into action
A belief in your ability to “get it done”

Leader Note: The aim of these questions is to highlight the fact that courage is almost always associated with strength. Be it moral, mental or physical, strength and courage typically go hand in hand.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a courageous act?

Sample answers may include:

Being pulled from car accident
Having someone pay off your financial debt, no strings attached

What words would you use describe your state before being “rescued” through that courageous act?

Sample answers may include:

Helpless
Stuck
Trapped
Powerless

Leader Note: Lead your group to see that there are moments in life where our strength and ability become obsolete. There are times when we are truly helpless and need someone else to pull us out.

APPLICATION-20 MINUTES

What are obstacles you are currently facing?

How are you responding to those obstacles?

Leader Note: When faced with an obstacle most of us tend to respond out of our own resource and abilities. We often think the most courageous thing is to show off our resolve and press through with our strength.

How might God be calling you to a different courageous response?

Leader Note: Like Joshua the most courageous thing we can do is to trust in God’s strength and allow Him to do the “heavy lifting” as we obey, follow and trust in His promise.

What do you need to surrender in order to trust in God’s strength?

Sample answers may include:

Control
Dependence on my ability
My desire to be my own rescuer
A belief that my strength is what makes the difference

LIVE IT OUT – 5 MINUTES

What might change in our lives and communities if we began to embrace and partner with God’s strength?

Prayer: Father I thank you that you are faithful. I ask that you help us to embrace your strength in moments where we feel the need to act in our own power. I pray that you would give us courage to obey your word and faith to know that it is you who accomplishes your will in our lives. Please continue to show us what it means to partner with you in that process as we surrender to all of who you are.

Exodus 3 // The Bible Wk 3

DATE: 6/28-6/29

SERIES: The Bible

PASSAGE: Exodus 3:11-15; 18-22; 4:1-5

INTRODUCTION—5 MINUTES

What did you want to be as a kid?

Leader tip: Throughout this lesson we will see the ways God develops or changes our small dreams to reflect His calling.

OBSERVATION—20 MINUTES

Leader tip:

Background on Moses to this point:

Moses’ parents knew from birth that he was no ordinary child (Hebrews 11:23) and Moses grew up with the knowledge that God was calling him to great things. Moses had a sense that God’s hand was on him; He knew he must deliver the Israelites out of slavery.

Moses attempted to live out God’s call using his own power and murdered an Egyptian (Acts 7:24). He thought that his own people would recognize God’s call on his life, but they did not.

Moses had a willful heart, but God needed to build his character. God lead him to the wilderness where he learned humility and surrendered to the sovereignty of God. He became a Sheppard, got married, had children, took no pleasure in sin, and began to question whether he misinterpreted God’s call.

Read Exodus 3:11-15; 18-22

Who does Moses believe he is?

Leader tip: As we have learned in this series, when God issues a calling, the recipient reacts in both faith and fear. Where do you see Moses reacting in fear to Gods command? Why does Moses doubt His calling?

Just a Sheppard
A murderer
An exile
Not worthy
A flawed leader- a person with no authority
Weak, small, frail, broken.

Who does God say He is?

Yahweh—I am—the name of the Deliverer
Provider—I am all things you are not; I am all you need
Greater than any god—All the gods of Egypt are not God because I am.

Who does the Pharaoh believe he is?

God. Pharaohs acted as undisputed rulers of the world for 1500 years.

Read Exodus 4:1-5

What do you learn about God’s call to his people?

Leader tip: When God issues a call, He provides all we need. God does not need us and our power because He divinely orchestrates all things.

All you need is in your hand

What is in Moses’ hand? What does this item represent?

Leader tip: what Moses is truly holding is his small dream. He doubts his call and his own ability to see the monumental task through.

Sheppard staff

Identity- who I am.
Income—what I do
Influence—authority over the flock

What must Moses do with his staff—his Identity, Income, and Influence?

He has to throw it down.

Why must he throw it down?

Leader tip: In this insight, you have the message: God takes a dead thing and he makes it living. When we see God work, dead things become living. We know the future of this staff—it will part the red sea, lead military victory, strike a rock to release water, touch the river and turn it to blood. In our hands, dead things stay useless and lifeless, but God brings life to all things.

UNDERSTANDING—20 MINUTES

What are some key places people find their identity? Influence? Income?

Work
Family
Bank accounts
Possessions
Vanity
Personalities—am I funny, attractive, smart?
Where you live
Education
Role in the family
How they are viewed by opposite sex

What are the barriers to laying them down?

Pride
Cultural influence
Insecurity—will I be liked?
Fear of failure
We think, “This is all that I have, I can’t give it up”

When have you seen someone lay down their identity, income, or influence for God to use?

Answers you may hear:

My coworker was devastated by a work transition where he had to yield to an ineffectual leader. He felt like he was passed over for a promotion, but he trusted God to honor him in his new posture of support and service.

In the wake of a divorce, my friend had to grapple with the idea that he may lose his children. He had to hand them over to Christ, the true father of his children, and trust that God had a greater plan.

APPLICATION—20 MINUTES

When has God asked you to lay down your staff for his purpose?

Leader tip: Find the stories of death, burial and resurrection. What has God called you to lay down in the past? What has he called you to trust him with?

What did God do?

Leader tip: Another way to ask this: What was the resurrection? Were you made better for the sacrifice? What was made living as a result of your release and obedience?

LIVE IT OUT—

What would happen if you laid down the staff?

Leader tip: Have each person who shared declare what they are laying down before the Lord so that he can bring it to life.

Statement:

I am laying down __________________ and picking up ______________________.

Examples:

I am laying down having control of money and picking up a generous life.
I am laying down my position and picking up obedience.
I am laying down my stubbornness and picking up humility.
I am laying down money and picking up purpose.
I am laying down comfort and picking up a risky dream.

What would happen if we let go of small dreams in order to embrace God’s great dream for us?

Genesis 3:1-9, 12-17 // The Bible Wk 2

INDRODUCTION–5 MINUTES

When is the moment you thought, “I am officially an adult?”

Leader Tip: This lesson focuses on the points of decision that separate the way things were from the way things are. In the shift between the beginning and the present there is always a point when things changed. Get people to talk about moments. Ex: The moment I moved out. The moment I first bought toilet paper.

OBSERVATION—20 MINUTES

Read Genesis 3:1-9 12-17

How is Eden depicted?

Utopia—characterized by order and beauty
Everything was peaceful—life was harmonious
Humans were walking with God
Adam and Eve—perfect relationship with each other
Stewards over creation
Shalom, the way things are meant to be

How does Satan entice Adam and Eve to sin?

Leader tip—Coach your group to see these three devices Satan uses:

He denies God’s truthfulness—God is lying to you. “You will not certainly die.”
He denies God’s goodness—God is withholding the things you deserve. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened.”
He denies our need for God—We can have God’s power. “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

What are the results of giving into temptation?

Shame—Before sin there is total innocence. Adam and Eve were completely unaware of themselves and were unconcerned with the perspectives of others. The first thing we do after the fall is to look at ourselves. “They realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

Hiding—Adam and Eve cover themselves and run from God. “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Blame—Adam points fingers and does not accept responsibility for his passivity and compliance. “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

UNDERSTANDING—20 MINUTES

How are people today tempted to doubt God’s truthfulness? God’s goodness? Their own need for God?

Truthfulness—

You may hear examples like:

Denying or rebelling against consequences
We make excuses by labeling truth, “intolerant”
We decide truth for ourselves
We claim:
- “It doesn’t hurt anybody else.”
- “I have freedom of choice.”
- “It is my body and my happiness.”

Goodness—

You may hear examples like:

We think that if God is good, He would want us to have things like satisfaction, pleasure, and contentment. We are inclined to justify all things.
Suspicion:
- If God is so good, why are there people who are hurting?
- If God is not good, then I don’t have to believe him.
If we feel like God is ignoring our prayers.

Need for God—

You may hear examples like:

If we don’t need God, we are the center of our own lives.
We get to be our own gods—we decide what we want and make decisions based on what we think is best
We think we don’t need to be dependent on God or be humbled before him
We feel entitled to our own sense of power

Can you think of a time when you saw someone tempted to believe that God is not truthful, good, and needed?

Leader tip—We are still looking out into the world around us. How have the people in your group seen how Satan tempts those around them with pernicious lies about God?

You may hear answers like:

My family struggled to remember the goodness of God when my uncle died. Our church community had rallied around us in his illness, earnestly praying with us for him to be restored. When he died, it felt like a betrayal from God. It was easy to question our own faith.

My friend was at the top of the corporate world. He had worked to build himself a kingdom that he could control. Consequently, his pride caused him to disregard the blessings God had bestowed on his life. He was the god over his possessions.

How do we struggle with shame, hiding, and blame in the wake of sin?

Some answers you might hear:

Indignant that God doesn’t bless us
We don’t take responsibility—fight for control
Mask our shame—possessions, image management, superstructures of control
Healthy shame
We run from God—Avoid, deny, spiral into addiction

APPLICATION—20 MINUTES

Describe a time when you trusted in the truthfulness, goodness, and necessity of God in your own life.

Leader tip—because of the fall, we are all tempted to disobey the commands of God. We think that we know better, deserve more, or don’t need Him, but there are times when we choose to see the lies of the serpent and run into the arms of God. Think of a time when you chose faithfulness over temptation. What did God prove about his own power and compassion in that season?

How do the truthfulness, goodness, and need for God help us explain suffering in the world?

Leader tip—Understanding the transformation of the creation story helps us to see why there is hardship, corruption, broken marriages, injustice, pain and death. As a consequence of the fall, there will always be pain in the world. Believing in the truthfulness, goodness, and need for God encourages us to remember the redemption of the gospel. The God of all creation rebuilds and restores all things that sin works to destroy; he is the only hope.

Pray over your group

Our gracious God, thank you for the story of your Creation. We eagerly await the day when we will be free from the bondage of sin and are able to fully engage in perfect relationship. Enter into the places where we pragmatically participate in sin. Help us to shed light on the ways we are enticed by evil, where we buy into the lies that cause us to doubt about your love for us. We live in a fallen world, but do not allow us to hide with our shame. Help us to remember the ways that you have been faithful and encourage us to trust in your guidance and authority. Help us to overcome temptation, so that we may bear your image in a broken world.

LIVE IT OUT—5 MINUTES

How would the world be different if we fully embraced our need for the truth and goodness of God and invited Him into the places where we hide and blame others for our shame?

Hebrews 11:8-19 // The Bible Wk 1

Date: June 15-16, 2013

Series: The Bible

Message: Father’s Day

Passage: Hebrews 11 8-19

INTRODUCTION–5 MINUTES

Who are all the TV dad’s you remember?

Leader Note: In light of father’s day, we are looking to honor dads by naming the people who have influenced our ideas of good fathers.

Answers you may hear:

Tim Allen
Bob Saget on Full House
Bill Cosby
Sandy Cohen from The OC
Red from That 70’s Show
Michael Bluth from Arrested Development
Mr. Brady
Mr Cunningham
Archie Bunker

OBSERVATION–20 MINUTES

Read Hebrews 11 8-19

What do you learn about faith?

Look for these four characteristics:

1. What are the challenges issued by God?

Call to go—Abraham must leave his country.
Call to believe—Abraham’s wife was barren, he was called to believe that they would have a child in old age.
Call to sacrifice his son Isaac.

2. What is Abraham’s response in the face of each challenge? Faith or fear?

Leader note—When we face complex or daunting challenges, a natural human response is fear. Abraham showcases how the influence of our belief in our own scarcity effects our choices. When a challenge is placed before us, we must make a choice to react with either fear or faith. Discuss the fear/faith dichotomy in Abraham’s choices.

Answers you may hear:

Call to go—

a. Fear—Abraham is simply called to “go”, he does not know where or when. This means leaving behind his security, his comfort zone, the people he knows, and his way of life.

His fears are:

I will be alone
I will be a foreigner
I will not know where to go

b. Faith—He obeys. Abraham goes without knowing where to go. The opposite of faith is sight; He goes without seeing because he trusts God’s sovereignty.

Call to believe—

a. Fear—Abraham and Sarah’s fears are rooted in giving birth at such a late life stage

Physical—whether they will survive and be healthy
Emotional—whether they will have the energy and vitality to raise a child

b. Faith—Since Abraham wholeheartedly believes God would take could take care of his child, he chooses faith over fear. He believes all things are possible with God.

Call to Sacrifice—

a. Fear—If he sacrifices his only son, he would have no heir.

b. Faith—Abraham thoroughly believed God would raise Isaac from the dead. He makes the courageous choice to believe in resurrection, though God was asking him to do the impossible.

3. What is God’s response?

Answer you may hear:

God is faithful and fulfills his promises. He took Abraham’s fear of scarcity and gave him abundant blessings because of his faith. His courageousness is honored by a God who follows through on all he has promised.

God provides the land He promised Abraham, an heir–though Sarah was past child-bearing age, and the Lamb to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place.

4. What is the result?

Faith is strengthened and grows!

UNDERSTANDING–20 MINUTES

On what self-serving altars do people sacrifice their families?

Leader tip: In light of father’s day, we are focusing on families, but if you have a group of singles, tweak the question to ask “on what self-serving altars do you sacrifice your responsibilities?” Ideas: purity, integrity, morals, etc.

These are questions of scarcity vs abundance. They touch on our fears that say, “If I do not do this, God will not provide.”

People frequently place important things and people on altars, this question simply stresses which alters we turn toward. When we say altar, we mean the self-serving platforms that we should sacrifice for the benefit of our own families.

Answers you may hear:

Success—climbing the corporate ladder
Indulgence—having an affir, addiction, material possessions
Money
Purpose
Identity
Image

What keeps them from offering their family on the altar of God?

Leader note: Abraham offered his son on God’s alter of obedience. A person who sacrifices on the alter of God altar is one who engages in relationship, embraces their family without image management, gives time, kindness, and character to their family. What keeps people from being this kind of father?

APPLICATION–20 MINUTES

What challenge is God putting before you?

Leader tip: rephrased: what challenge in your life is making you question, “will God provide?”

What is your response: faith or fear?

Leader tip—Pay special attention to body language in response to these questions. You can observe God’s work in people. Who gets it? Who is self-righteous? flinches? Leaders, observe where God is moving in your group.

There was a time when Abraham submitted to his fear over his faith:

Story of Haagar—Abraham believed that God’s promise to grant his family a child was impossible. Abraham’s faith was based on his sight—he believed Sarah was too old to bare a child so he took matters into his own hands and impregnated his wife’s servant Haagar. His attitude said “I will solve the problem myself because I cannot trust God to provide”

What is your Haagar plan? Where are you operating in scarcity?

Leader tip: Where are you operating in fear?

What is your God plan?

Leader tip: Where are you operating in faith?

LIVE IT OUT–5 MINUTES

Prayer—

This week, have each person to pray for themselves by placing their challenge in the blank. “God help me to be fearless this week by facing ______________________ and trusting that You will provide.”